In order to facilitate information legibility, traffic safety and general economic vitality, signs should be designed in a manner compatible with the character and style of the buildings on which they are located, and with adjoining buildings and neighboring signs, in terms of color, materials and size. Furthermore, signs shall be designed to be structurally sound and located so as to pose no hazard to pedestrian or vehicular traffic. More specifically, signs shall be designed in accordance with the following standards.
(a) Continuity. Signs and their location should be considered in relationship to their surrounding environment and, if seen in series, should have a continuity of design.
(b) Style and Color. The style of a sign should be generally consistent throughout the particular building or block involved. The color of signs should be compatible with the color of the building facade. The total number of colors on a sign generally should be limited to four.
(c) Placement.
(1) Wall signs shall fit-within any given frame of the architectural design intended for signage. Such signs shall not extend over the edge of the original sign panel space.
(2) To insure that signage materials do not constitute a driving hazard, a sight triangle shall be observed at all street intersections or intersections of driveways with streets. Within the sight triangle, signs shall be permitted as long as the sign in question is under three feet in height.
(3) The sight triangle is defined as follows:
A. Driveway intersection sight triangle. At intersections of driveways with streets, the sight triangle shall be established by locating the intersection of the street curb with the driveway edge, and by measuring from this point a distance of ten feet along the driveway to a point, and a distance of twenty feet along the street curb to a point, and connecting these points.
B. Street intersection sight triangle. At street intersections, the sight triangle shall be formed by measuring at least thirty-five feet along curb lines and connecting these points.
(d) Lettering. The lettering on a sign should be large enough to be easily read, but not overly large or out of scale with the building upon which it is placed. An excessive amount of information on signs, where visual clutter could create a potential safety hazard to motorists or pedestrians, should be avoided.
(e) Freestanding Signs. Sign panels on freestanding signs shall face not more than two directions, and such panels shall be in parallel arrangement. The distance between parallel, back-to-back sign panels shall be not greater than three feet. Freestanding signs shall not exceed fifty square feet in area or twenty feet above grade.
(f) Materials. Signs shall be fabricated on and of materials which are of good quality, good durability and complementary to the building of which they become part. Outdoor signs and display structures, including the supporting structure and all parts, shall be of noncombustible material when required by the Building and Housing Code. However, wood, approved plastic, or other material not more combustible than wood or approved plastic, may be permitted by the Building Commissioner or his or her selected representative, for small ornamental moldings, cappings, nailing strips, individual letters, symbols, figures and insignia.
(g) Structural Design. The construction, erection, safety and maintenance of all signs shall be in accordance with the Building and Housing Code enforced by the City. All signs and supporting structures shall be designed and constructed to meet the minimum requirements of the Ohio Basic Building Code as adopted by the City.
(h) Vertical Clearance. The lowest member of such sign shall be at least eight feet above the finished grade of a sidewalk or other pedestrian way and at least fifteen feet above the finished grade of a pavement used for vehicular traffic if such sign is located within eighteen inches of the vertical projection of the pavement edge.
(i) Relation to Traffic Devices. Unless regulated otherwise in the Traffic Code, signs shall not be erected so as to obstruct sight lines along any public way, traffic control lights, street name signs at intersections, or street sight lines or signals at railroad grade crossings. Signs visible from the sight lines along a street shall not contain symbols or words such as "stop," "go," "slow," etc. or red or green lights that resemble highway traffic signs or devices.
(Ord. 2001-035. Passed 10-17-01.)